Breathless
by Cheeky Slytherin Lass
Summary: Blaise has spent three years wondering what it would be like to kiss Daphne. She doesn't make it easy, but the end result is worth it.


_For the Most in a Month Competition, One Word Title Oneshot Challenge (breathless), and the Word Count Game Challenge (Blaise Zabini, Hogwarts, pumpkin patch, cloudy, late, and luck)_

* * *

As Blaise paces nervously along the length of the pumpkin patch, his mind turns to omens and luck. Cloudy skies, a girl who is running late. If he believed in that sort of thing, he would think that fortune isn't smiling on him today.

Luckily, he doesn't. Still, that doesn't stop his mind from wandering. What if this was a mistake? What if he's misread all the signs and signals? What if he's a complete idiot for thinking that Daphne would show up?

He resist the urge to send his foot through the nearest plump pumpkin. This isn't like him. He's Blaise Zabini, the cool and collected, untouchable Slytherin who is above everyone else. No one should be able to shake him like this, not even Daphne Greengrass.

And yet, here he is. Pacing and waiting, all sweaty palms and racing heart. He shouldn't have sent her a note. He shouldn't have even suggested meeting her here at the pumpkin patch. But, still, for all his bravado, he doesn't think he could have found the nerve to do this in the common room where anyone could see.

"Why the pumpkin patch?"

Blaise comes to an abrupt stop at her voice. He swallows dryly, smoothing his hands over his clothes, making sure his appearance is as perfect as possible. Just because he's spent the past twenty minutes being a nervous wrecked doesn't mean that she needs to know that. He turns, offering her what he hopes is a charming smile. "I wanted somewhere private," he answers. "This is the best I could do."

Daphne looks around, shrugging. It isn't the most private area, but not many come this way. Only Hagrid, and Blaise made sure to wait until he was done tending to the plants for the day.

"Somewhere private?" she muses, her perfectly glossed lips tugging into a grin.

Blaise bites the inside of his cheek. It isn't fair that someone can make his heart beat so quickly with just a quirk of her lips. But Daphne can. She's always been special. Like Blaise, she's always been distant, so above it all. Too good for anyone and out of everyone's league. She is his definition of absolute perfection.

"Well? You have me here," she laughs. "Nice and private. Now what?"

She takes a step closer, a grin on her lips. Blaise throws his shoulders back, standing straight and proud. "Well, I was planning on kissing you," he admits, and his words hold more confidence than he actually feels. He's grateful for that.

Daphne laughs. She folds her arms over her chest, brows raised. "And why would you want to do that?" she asks.

Blaise feels his stomach tie itself into knots. Why does she have to play the game so well? It would be easier on him if he could just charm her with a smile and get his way. But, he supposes there's a certain thrill to the way she doesn't just give into him. It becomes a game, and he doesn't know exactly how to win, only that he will somehow.

"Boredom. Maybe it would be nice to kiss a pretty girl," he says with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

Daphne snorts. She takes another step closer, slow and deliberate. Blaise watches her, and for a moment, his lungs forget how to work. Even something a simple as walking is beautiful when Daphne Greengrass is involved.

"How many girls does that work on?" she laughs. "'Yeah, I'm bored. Wanna snog really quick?'"

"It's all in the delivery," he teases.

Daphne bites her lip, and Blaise tries not to groan. Her eyes sweep over him. "What's the real reason?"

"You're the most beautiful girl in the school. It would be a shame if I didn't have a chance to kiss you."

Her expression shifts to boredom. Blaise curses under his breath. It shouldn't be this hard to kiss one damn girl. Plenty of girls would have eaten that line up and thrown themselves at him.

"Try again," she offers. "You're on thin ice, dear."

Boredom didn't work. Flattery didn't work. Blaise wrings his hands together. Why is it so hard? What's the right move?

"I know you want-"

"Nope," Daphne interrupts. "Come on, Blaise. Try harder."

Blaise sighs. "Fine. I think you're absolutely beautiful. I always have," he answers, and maybe honesty is the best policy, but it causes his cheeks to flood with heat now. He feels ridiculous. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to approach people and express myself easily."

Daphne takes another step closer. There's almost no distance between them now. Blaise shivers, realizing he's on the right track.

"And it's not just your looks, of course. You're brilliant. I hear you even did better than Granger a few times in Charms," he continues, his stomach knotting even more. He's afraid he might actually throw up. "And you're funny. Really, I never thought it was possible for anyone to be so perfect."

"Other than you," she says, blushing. "You're so perfect it's intimidating."

Blaise tips his head to the side. Sure, he has a high opinion of himself. It's well known. But he's never heard anyone say something like that without being at least somewhat sarcastic.

"Well, you think I'm perfect. I think you're perfect. Imagine how perfect we would be together," he says, grinning, feeling more confident now.

She takes another step, then another. Her hands rest on his shoulders, and he shivers at the touch. "We would be pretty amazing together," she agrees, leaning in ever so slightly.

Blaise catches her lips in a kiss, his hand resting on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her dark hair.

He's dreamt of this moment since the moment she sat next to him after their Sorting three years ago. He's imagined how soft her lips would feel against his. He's thought of the witty things he would say, the confidence that would radiate from him, the absolute perfection of the moment.

And yet, now that it's happening, he realizes how very unprepared he really is. Daphne is so much more amazing than anything he could have ever dreamed. His heart races so fast that he's afraid it might explode in his chest. Hell of a way to die, he thinks, and the thought makes him smile into the kiss.

When she pulls away, he groans. Once again, his lungs forget what to do. He's left breathless, speechless, and so very blissful. He drops his hands to his side, a content smile on his lips.

Daphne leans in again, grinning before pressing a second chaste kiss to his lips. "Is your curiosity satisfied?" she teases.

He swallows, trying to remember how to function. "Just a bit," he manages. "I think I'll have to kiss you many more times until I know for sure."

Daphne takes his hand. "I wouldn't mind at all," she laughs.

It wasn't even. But, God, it was worth it. So much work, but that feeling of breathlessness, of being complete definitely made up for it.


End file.
